


Fifteen Years

by Lusieluz



Series: Futuristic [1]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Growing Up Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:41:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21550069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lusieluz/pseuds/Lusieluz
Summary: You met Arthur as a child and you've been together ever since then, growing up together as close friends. However, your feelings for him change the older you get.
Relationships: Arthur Morgan/Reader
Series: Futuristic [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552990
Comments: 3
Kudos: 42





	Fifteen Years

‘’How old is she now?’’ You looked up at the man speaking; he was middle aged, probably a few years older than your own parents. His blonde hair hadn’t started graying yet and his hazel brown eyes held a softness and wisdom you could only admire, almost inviting and calming in this new foreign household.

‘’Almost 6,’’ you mother answered and pressed you back towards her when you made another attempt to leave the safety of her lap. They had been talking way too long already and were no longer of interest to you. The man’s sons however, who were sitting opposite you, looked just as bored and longing to leave as you. Well, the youngest one anyway. He looked to be around your age, perhaps one or two years older. His brother on the other hand was a big kid, politely sitting beside his father with a book in his hands and ignoring the conversations between your parents and his father.

‘’What do you think of your new house?’’ Another man, black hair curling at the nape of his neck and dark eyes, spoke kindly to you as he leaned back on the sofa, one arm around his husband, Hosea if you remembered the name right, and the other arm resting on his son’s shoulders.

‘’I like it,’’ you said and returned his smile. This man, Dutch, had invited your family for a ‘Welcome’ party as soon as you had moved here two months ago and had regularly invited your parents over for coffee or tea or dinner. Even more eager was your mother to come over, as Hosea had been her mentor in literature during her pregnancy.

‘’You look terribly bored, y/n,’’ Hosea said and gave you a wink before turning his attention to the youngest son. ‘’John, show her to you and Arthur’s room.’’ The youngest boy jumped off the sofa and took your hand without any shyness, eager to get away from the grown ups talking. Behind you, you could hear Arthur follow behind, surely to secure the room and make sure his feral brother wouldn’t wreck anything with his new partner in crime.

Your mother smiled at Dutch and Hosea when you were out of earshot. ‘’Are you certain she’ll be alright at that school?’’

‘’Of course, my dear,’’ Hosea said with a reassuring voice. ‘’John and Arthur will be there, you’ve got nothing to worry about.’’

  
  
  


*******

  
  
  


You closed the locker with a soft thud, sighing at the relief of the heavy books that had left your arms for the day.

‘’Hey.’’ You didn’t turn around at the familiar voice behind you, you didn’t need to, but a smile did cross your lips as you pulled the key out of the lock and turned around with a ‘’hi’’. Arthur looked tired but nonetheless happy, well dressed in a pair of simple jeans and a black shirt with his sleeves rolled up. He looked down at you and accepted the hug you offered him, pressing you quickly towards his side before he adjusted his bag.

It was almost unimaginable; for almost 10 years, Arthur had been walking you to and from school, meeting up with you occasionally during breaks and walking over to your locker on the days you ended at the same time, sometimes with John but mostly without. It was quite sad that it all would be over in less than half a year when he’d graduate. The thought made you sad, you had been the perfect duo; him being almost 4 years older and well built for someone his age kept bullies away and he’d even help you with your studies while you were the best friend he could’ve ever asked for, if you did say so yourself. He hadn’t said so himself yet, but it was clear that those were his feelings.

‘’Need help with studying?’’ Arthur asked and broke the silence as you walked out the gates of the school.

‘’Oh, you have no idea,’’ you said with a giant grin, merely a mask hiding your pain however. ‘’What even is the pythagorean theorem?’’

He chuckled at your words and in the corner of your eyes, you could see his lips curl up into that happy and teasing smirk that made butterflies stir in the pit of your stomach.

‘’I’ll help you, kid.’’ He nudged you gently in the side and once again your thoughts wandered to when you first had felt those butterflies around Arthur. It must have been at least 3 years now for sure. You shook your head. Now was not the time to think about it, not when you were walking side by side, his arm softly brushing against yours with each step.

  
  
  


*******

  
  
  


The graduation had been almost three years ago. You barely remembered the day and quite honestly, wouldn’t mind forgetting it. It was hard, watching Arthur leave once and for all. He would study abroad, on a small island called Guarma. Dutch had gone with him for those three years he would be gone while Hosea stayed behind, making sure that John finished his studies. But now John was gone as well; disappeared with his sweetheart Abigail as soon as they had finished school. It felt empty nowadays, going to school without your two best friends.

Sure, you had kept up the contact as much as you could with Arthur, but the few messages and calls were never the same as having him there with you. He’d come home every holiday and celebrate with his family and you’d hang out with him but now it had been more than eight months since you last saw him.

You sighed and looked out the window, trying to ignore how much you missed him. It was raining heavily, smattering loudly against the window and roof. The clock on your phone was slowly approaching midnight as you opened the messages. Last one sent to Arthur had been two days ago, without an answer.

_ When are you coming home? _

Again, a sigh left your lips and you turned on your side, wrapping the blankets tighter around yourself to try and block out the October coldness. At least it would be Saturday soon, plenty of time to sleep in and do nothing. The screen on the phone suddenly flashed brightly and you leaned over with a groan to see the message that had appeared, just in time before the screen turned black again. Your heart skipped a beat when you read it.

_ Come outside. _

You had to read the message five times as well as the name of the sender, wanting to make sure that it was indeed Arthur the message had come from. Another one popped up.

_ Hurry _ !

This time you didn’t hesitate; the blanket almost fell to the floor from the force you had when you pushed it away and practically threw open the door before rushing out of your room and down the stairs. Hope surged through you along with happiness and confusion, was he truly here?

You unlocked the two locks on the front door and pushed it open, letting the cold wind and whipping rain in almost immediately. You took a step back to let Arthur pass, dragging a big suitcase behind him. However, you couldn’t help but smile. How you had missed him.

‘’What in the hell are you doing here?’’ you asked with a scolding tone before giving him a bright smile, not caring to hide your happiness.

Arthur looked miserable; he was dripping wet from head to toe, hair clinging to his face and skin glistening from the rain. The water had made it through his jacket and jeans and he was shivering, however a big smile played on his lips as well and his eyes gleamed from happiness. You took a step back when you saw his state; the hug would have to wait until he was dry again.

‘’Wanted to surprise you,’’ he said and moved to take off his jacket. ‘’Was going to take a bus here but missed the last one, had to walk instead.’’ He looked older than when you last saw him; a sharp jawline and stubble on its way to grow back out. He looked broader, a stronger figure.

‘’Oh, you fool,’’ you laughed and took his jacket, hanging it on the rack. Arthur only shrugged and looked around.

‘’You alone?’’ he asked, this time in a whisper. You shook your head.

‘’My parents are out of town this weekend. Probably home on Sunday.’’ You took his hand and started leading him upstairs. ‘’Go change into something dry, you mind sleeping in my bed tonight?’’ As soon as the words left your mouth, you silently cursed yourself and whatever foolish brain cell you had that made you utter those words. Arthur only chuckled however and pressed your hand gently.

‘’Not at all,’’ he said before letting go of your hand, turning in the direction of the bathroom, his suitcase in tow. He had been in this house many times, almost as much as you had been in his. You continued to your room, turning the light on before searching the wardrobe for another pillow. You found one and threw it on the bed along with an extra blanket, a shiver went up your spine when you thought about the warmth of the bed. It didn’t take long before you crawled back down, secure beneath two covers and plush pillows atop a big bed, listening to the rain outside. It had started to subdue and the time showed past midnight.

‘’Turn off?’’ Arthur asked when he came in, dressed in a simple red t-shirt and gray sweatpants instead of his soaking jeans and shirt from earlier. He was drying his hair with a towel and motioning to the light switch. When you nodded, he hung the towel on a hook at the back of your door and turned the lights off before walking over to the bed. You held up the covers for him as he laid down before he pulled them around himself and turned towards you with a smile on his lips. You smiled as well.

‘’So, where’s Dutch?’’ you asked and raised yourself on one arm, leaning on it.

‘’He went straight home,’’ Arthur answered and let out a muffled short laugh. ‘’Thought me a fool for wanting to come here first.’’

‘’I don’t blame him,’’ you laughed and fell silent, going back to lying down and enjoying the warmth of another body heating up the bed. You felt Arthur shift beside you, bed sinking down just beside you when his weight changed side.

‘’Excuse me, lady? I haven’t seen you for eight months, would you care for a hug?’’ Without hesitation, you threw yourself around Arthur’s neck with a happy squeal, arms tight around him and face pressed into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent. Somehow, he still smelled like he always had done, despite the rain. He was warm and his arms were around your back, hugging you tightly and holding you like he had never done before, shoving you further and further on top of him.

‘’Oh, I’ve missed you!’’ you mumbled with a happy sigh as tears welled up behind your eyelids, happiness and tiredness getting to you.

‘’I’ve missed you too, sweetheart,’’ Arthur whispered as you felt his hand on your head, stroking gently.

‘’Silly man, what took you so damn long to come back?’’ He chuckled at your words, a pleasant and deep rumble that made your heart tingle.

‘’We’ve been practically stuck on that island while they had a change of governor. Now it’s some fool, Alberto Fussar, changing the damn island into a military base.’’ You felt him shake his head. ‘’We ain’t going back there, I’m done with my studies.’’

You raised yourself to your arms so you could look at him, resting your chin in your hands and laying flat on Arthur’s chest. Looking at him like this in the dark, a smile on his lips and looking down on your form with eyes sparkling of happiness, you realized the position you were in and, while feeling your cheeks turn red and feeling yourself become awfully self conscious, realized how this was the first time in very long that you had been this intimate with him. Sure, as children and young teenagers you used to be all over each other, fighting and playing and occasionally have cuddling sessions while watching movies. But that was something else, it didn’t mean anything.  _ This _ , however... felt like something else.

‘’That sounds horrible,’’ you whispered before swallowing, hoping that he wouldn’t notice how flustered you had become. ‘’And you’re sure you’re done?’’

Arthur then gently touched your cheek, drawing your face closer to his.

‘’I’ve been gone long enough, I ain’t going back.’’ And he kissed you. It was a gentle, sweet and warm kiss, filling you up with happiness and making your heart and cheeks burn like a fire. He withdrew after a few seconds, fingers still brushing against your burning skin and a broad smile on his lips. You didn’t hesitate when you pulled him back for another kiss and he eagerly kissed you back once more, one hand on your back and one holding your face in place. When you broke apart, you merely stared at each other, smiling like fools and panting softly.

‘’Well,’’ Arthur spoke after a while, dragging his hand through his hair and chuckling. ‘’Ain’t this a nice ‘welcome home’ present. Been waiting a long time for that.’’

‘’Oh hush!’’ you exclaimed and rolled off him before wrapping the blanket around yourself, back facing Arthur. He wrapped his arm around you and snuggled closer, breath hot and steady against your neck. You smiled, knowing it would be a lie if you said that you hadn’t waited a long time for it as well.

‘’I don’t mind,’’ he whispered before yawning.

‘’Tired?’’

‘’Sure.’’ You stretched once before retreating back to the warmth of the covers.

‘’Goodnight, Arthur.’’ He whispered a quiet goodnight back and settled comfortably behind you, holding you close under the covers. You sighed happily, revelling in the feeling of having Arthur by your side again.

  
  
  


*******

  
  
  


‘’Wow.’’ You turned around when you heard Arthur’s voice and smiled brightly at him, arms out in a gesture to the apartment. It had recently been bought and when Arthur asked you to move in with him, you didn’t hesitate, having been together with him for three years already. So you had been spending the whole day with Dutch, John and their friend Mary-Beth, moving in furniture and cleaning. It had been one hell of a job but now you were finally done, sitting on the sofa and sipping ice cold water with Mary-Beth when Arthur came directly from work. The sun was on its way down, slowly giving way for the late summer nights.

‘’Welcome, mister Morgan,’’ you started and stood up before bowing deeply before him. ‘’To our humble home.’’

‘’What do you think, Arthur?’’ Mary-Beth shot in and shoved herself from the sofa, turning to go into the kitchen.

‘’I like it,’’ he answered and pulled you in for a hug. ‘’It’s nice.’’ You hummed and accepted the warmth from his embrace.

‘’Arthur!’’ Dutch exclaimed as he walked into the living room from one of the bedrooms, gazing upon the brightly colored walls and less bright furniture. Arthur let go of you and accepted his father’s hug with a faint smile. ‘’We’re done here, son. If you have any complaints, keep them to yourself or make it a problem for John!’’ Arthur nodded and smirked at his father’s words before Dutch put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. He then moved to you, gave you a kiss on the cheek and left. John had left less than an hour ago and it didn’t take long before Mary-Beth left as well, not wanting to interfere with your celebrations of your new home. Before she left, she gave Arthur a quick hug and embraced you hard, telling you that it had been nice to get to know you before walking out of the apartment, closing the front door with one last goodbye. You locked the door after her and sighed happily, turning to face Arthur with a smile. He was admiring the work you had done with the apartment, the way you choose to decorate and position the furniture. The smile on his face grew wider and when he turned back to you, he was practically beaming.

‘’Our home,’’ he said, tasting those new words in his mouth. ‘’I love it.’’

You closed the space between you and he welcomed you into his embrace, lifting you from the ground with ease. Strong arms held you tight against the man you loved and you thought about how the future would be; you and Arthur facing it together.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! :)
> 
> Requests (SFW) open on tumblr! @cowboys-and-cowgirls


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